'He was like my rock' says mother of son killed in hit and run

CLERMONT, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol say they need the public's help in finding a driver who hit a pedestrian and then fled the scene, leaving the 26-year-old victim dead on a Clermont highway on Sunday night. Neena Zacharias is heartbroken after her son, Aaron, was left to die. "He took away something that's valuable. You can't get it back. And to do something like that, it's horrific, it's crazy."

Zacharias says it was around 11:30 p.m., when Aaron walked to at nearby Circle K. "He said he was going to go to the store, and I said, 'Don't go, it's late. You have to be careful!' He said, 'No mom, I do it all the time,' because he was exercising, and he liked to walk."

On his way back home, she said he was struck and killed along Lake Shore Drive by Preston Cove Road. Troopers say the driver just took off, but left behind pieces of a car with repair putty on it. "It looks black and kind of flat black color, not shiny. We are checking the local body shops in the area," explainded Sgt. Kim Montes, FHP spokesperson.

"There's no lights, it's so dark and now with the weather, it's foggy. You can't see people's speed, and it's not a good place," Zacharias said.

"Lake Shore Drive has been a busy area for both vehicle and pedestrian crashes. It's dark out there. We always remind pedestrians, if you're going to be walking at night, light yourself up with some type of clothing," said Sgt Montes.

Zacharias hopes the driver does the right thing. "To come forward. You hit a person, you took my child. He was only 26 years old."

According to Zacharias, Aaron was the oldest son out of four siblings. "He was a very loving, big-hearted person. He liked everybody. He was really into God, always into his Bible and teaching about God and good. He was a very loving person."

As this single mother mourns the death of her son, she hopes someone will come forward with information about the crash. "He was like my rock. He was the person I could go to for anything. He would always have those kind words to say, 'Everything's going to be ok.'"